Kody Boye - Sunrise

Turning, Jamie started down the hall, toward the flight of stairs leading down to the first floor, but stopped when he sensed someone watching him. He waited for whoever it was to speak, expecting a response, then glanced over his shoulder when none came. He found Desmond standing in his original position, eyes glossy and face blank of any discernable expression. “Desmond?” Jamie asked.

The boy jumped “Yes sir.”

“If you’re not comfortable with cooking, I can find something else for you to do.”

“I’m fine with cooking.” Desmond blushed. “Pardon me, sir.”

Jamie laughed, turning to cross the distance he’d just walked. When he stood in front of the boy, he paused, not sure whether or not to reach out to him. He eventually caved to better human nature and set both hands on the kid’s shoulders. “If you need something,” Jamie said, “you can tell me.”

“Sir?”

“I know the sergeant’s a hardass, and you’re not likely to find a friend in Kirn or Wills, but I’m here for you, Desmond. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in your situation.”

“I’m not any worse off than you guys are.”

“That’s where I think you’re wrong.”

“How so?”

“We got to live life,” Jamie said. “You’re…what? Fourteen, fifteen?”

“Seventeen.”

“There. See? You’re not even an adult yet. You probably haven’t even drunk a beer or smoked a cigarette.”

“Tried cigarettes,” the boy said. “Didn’t like it.”

“Probably better for you anyway,” Jamie laughed. “It’s a bitch of a habit. Suffice to say, we won’t have smokes forever, especially since everyone’s…”

“Dead.”

“Yeah. Dead.” Jamie clapped the boy’s shoulder. “Like I said, buddy, if you need something, come to me, even if it’s just to talk.”

“I will. Thank you, sir.”

With that, Jamie turned and continued on his way, all the while thinking about the seventeen-year-old boy and his brilliant green eyes.

“How’d the civvies do today?”

“They did good,” Jamie said, collapsing into bed. “Why do you call them civvies anyway?”

“Always called ‘em that,” Erik shrugged. “It’s not like they’re any different than they were before, J. We’re still the army, they’re still the civilians.”

“I wasn’t saying that.” Jamie sighed. Leaning back, he fluffed a pillow up behind his head and closed his eyes, taking a moment to gain his bearings on the current situation. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“It’s always bothered me—the army not giving faces to the people they protect.”

“We are the army, Jamie. You’re making us out like we’re assholes.”

“Not us, Erik. I’m talking about them.” He jerked his finger at the wall next to him. “I’m talking about Kirn and Wills.”

“You’re missing the point. Kirn and Wills aren’t army, they’re police officers who got upgraded because we needed extra people.”

“Ok. Point taken.”

“I get what you’re saying. You don’t like it that Kirn, Wills and the sergeant are bossing the civilians around. I get that entirely. I don’t like it either. What I am saying is that things haven’t changed, at least not in groups like ours. We still have to listen, we still have to obey, and we still have to watch what we say.”

“I know, Erik. No need to lecture me.”

“I’m not. I’m your friend, Jamie, and I want what’s best for you. I don’t want you getting thrown out for something said in a moment of passion.”

“Wait… what?”

“Nothing. Get some sleep. If you’re still worried about it in the morning, we can talk. We’ve got guard duty.”

Great, Jamie sighed, pulling a blanket over his shoulders. Just great.

As if zombies weren’t the only thing he had to worry about, now he had guard duty.

The morning lay shadowed in fog and mist. Hanging low to the ground, wrapping around telephone pones, breaking into cars and sneaking around corners, it swam through the streets like floodwaters from a hurricane and crashed against the chain-linked fence like sharks in the movie Jaws . What few zombies were scattered along the street shambled blindly through the fog like lost souls amidst the devastation of a horrible storm. Occasionally, one would bounce off something—much to Erik’s amusement—then continue on its merry way, but they always came back. Whether or not they knew people were still inside the apartment building was anyone’s guess, but the majority had wandered off over the past two days. Regardless, that didn’t make their situation any less dangerous. They could still be nearby, hidden in the fog, watching but unable to reach them.

Standing inside a watch tower that hadn’t been removed by the people renovating the asylum, Jamie watched a female zombie wander to the gate, then turn around to return to her initial position. Nearby, another zombie followed suit, only to repeat the same actions as its female companion. “See that?” Jamie pointed.

“What?”

“The zombie doing exactly what the other one did.”

“You already know their instincts are based on impulse.”

“I wish Marsh were still here. At least then we might be able to make some sense of it.”

“The only thing Marsh figured out was that they were controlled by impulse and that they followed any living human they could. He even proved that they might be psychic based on the test he did with the one Humvee back at the base.”

“You mean when he let it roll down the hill?”

“The zombies didn’t give two shits.”

“They could’ve seen that there wasn’t anyone in the vehicle, Erik.”

“But that doesn’t explain why the ones who weren’t looking at it didn’t give pursuit.”

Content with the answer, Jamie settled down in his seat and pulled out his pack of smokes. He flicked a butt out of the carton, swiped his lighter out of his pocket, then lit it, sighing as the nicotine burned its way into his lungs. As he always did when Jamie pulled out a smoke, Erik gave him a longing look, to which Jamie replied by taking another drag and offering the man his cigarette. “What happened to your pack?”

“I don’t keep them on me.”

“Then why are you bumming smokes off me all the time?” Jamie laughed. “Start carrying your own you dumbass.”

“I don’t want Kirn or Wills to take them.”

“They’re just your typical high school bullies, Erik.”

“But they’re high school bullies that the sergeant likes.” Erik expelled a lungful of smoke. Jamie sighed when he inhaled the traces of smoke. “Remember what we talked about last night? How we’re supposed to keep our mouths shut and not say anything that might get us in trouble?”

“I remember.”

“Do you feel any better at all this morning?”

“A little.”

“Look,” Erik passed the cigarette back, “I apologize for arguing with you last night. The sergeant’s been riding my ass when it comes to manning the radio.”

“At least you don’t have to worry about doing the dirty work.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I enjoy having my ass planted in a chair for ten hours a day. I signed up for the army to get away from that, not the other way around.”

“Your dad really would have made you work in his business?”

“It was his way or the army.” Erik closed his eyes. “Damn.”

“What?”

“I miss that fucker, even if he was an asshole.”

“I do too,” Jamie confessed. “I miss him a lot.”

“He was practically your dad too.”

“He was the only dad I knew,” Jamie corrected, then sighed. “It’s kind of ironic, huh?”